युधिष्ठिर उवाच स्वाध्याये कृतयत्नस्य नरस्य च पितामह। धर्मकामस्य धर्मात्मन् किं नु श्रेय इहोच्यते॥
Yudhishthira said O grandfather, O you of virtuous soul, what, indeed, yields great merit for a person assiduously engaged in the study of the Vedas and desirous of gaining virtue.
बहुधा दर्शने लोके श्रेयो यदिह मन्यसे। अस्मिल्लोके परे चैव तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
That which yields in this world high merit is of various kinds as described in the scriptures. Tell me, O grandfather, about what is regarded as such both in this world and in the next.
महानयं धर्मपथो बहुशाखश्च भारत। किंस्विदेवेह धर्माणामनुष्ठेयतमं मतम्॥
The path of duty is long and has numberless branches, O Bharata. Amongst those duties what are those few which should, in your opinion, be observed in preference to all others?
धर्मस्यो महतो राजन् बहुशाखस्य तत्त्वतः। यन्मूलं परमं तात तत् सर्वं ब्रूह्यशेषतः॥
Tell me, O king, fully about that which is so vast and which has so many branches.
भीष्म उवाच हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि येन श्रेयो ह्यवाप्स्यसि। पीत्वामृतमिव प्राज्ञो ज्ञानतृप्तो भविष्यसि॥
Bhishma said I shall describe to you that by which you may acquire high merit. Wise as you are, you will be satisfied with the knowledge I will impart to you, like a person gratified with having drunk ambrosia.
धर्मस्य विधयो नैके ये वै प्रोक्ता महर्षिभिः। स्वं स्वं विज्ञानमाश्रित्य दमस्तेषां परायणम्॥
The rules of duty described by the great Rishis, each depending upon his own wisdom, are many. The highest among them all is selfcontrol.
दमं निःश्रेयसं प्राहुर्वृद्धा निश्चितदर्शिनः। ब्राह्मणस्य विशेषेण दमो धर्मः सनातनः॥
Those amongst the ancient Rishis that were acquainted with truth said that self-control, leads to the highest merit. Self-control is the eternal duty of the Brahmanas especially.
दमात् तस्य क्रियासिद्धिर्यथावदुपलभ्यते। दमो दानं तथा यज्ञानधीतं चातिवर्तते॥
It is from self-control that he acquires the due fruition of his acts. Self-control of surpasses (in merit) charity and sacrifice and study of the Vedas.
दमस्तेजो वर्धयति पवित्रं च दम: परम्। विपाप्मा तेजसा युक्तः पुरुषो विन्दते महत्॥
Self-control increases (his) energy. Selfcontrol is highly sacred. Through self-control a man becomes purified of all his sins and gifted with energy, and therefore, acquires the highest blessedness.
दमेन सदृशं धर्मं नान्यं लोकेषु शुश्रुम। दमो हि परमो लोके प्रशस्तः सर्वधर्मिणाम्॥
We have not heard that there is any other duty in all the worlds equal to self-control. Self-control, according to all virtuous persons, is the highest virtues in this world.
प्रेत्य चात्र मनुष्येन्द्र परमं विन्दते सुखम्। दमेन हि समायुक्तो महान्तं धर्ममश्नुते॥
Through self-control, O foremost of men, a person enjoys the highest happiness both in this world and in the next. Gifted with self-control, one wins great virtue.
सुखं दान्तः प्रस्वपिति सुखं च प्रतिबुध्यते। सुखं पर्येति लोकांश्च मनश्चास्य प्रसीदति॥
The self-controlled man sleeps in happiness and awakes in happiness, and moves through the world in happiness. His mind is always cheerful.
अदान्तः पुरुषः क्लेशमभीक्ष्णं प्रतिपद्यते। अनर्थांश्च बहूनन्यान् प्रसृजत्यात्मदोषजान्॥
The man who is without self-control always suffers misery. Such a man brings upon himself many calamities all begotten by his own faults.
आश्रमेषु चतुर्बाहुर्दममेवोत्तमं व्रतम्। तस्य लिङ्गानि वक्ष्यामि येषां समुदयो दमः॥
It has been said that in all the four modes of life self-control is the best of vows. I shall now describe to you the characteristic marks the sum-total of which is called self-control.
क्षमा धृतिरहिंसा च समता सत्यमार्जवम्। इन्द्रियाभिजयो दाक्ष्यं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम्॥ अकार्पण्यमसंरम्भः संतोषः प्रियवादिता। अविहिंसानसूया चाप्येषां समुदयो दमः॥
Forgiveness, patience, abstention from injury, impartiality, truth, sincerity, control of the senses, cleverness, mildness, modesty, firmness, liberality, freedom from anger, contentment, sweetness of words, benevolence, freedom from malice, all these combined make up self-control.
गुरुपूजा च कौरव्य दया भूतेष्वपैशुनम्। जनवादं मृषावादं स्तुतिनिन्दाविसर्जनम्॥ कामं क्रोधं च लोभं च दर्प स्तम्भं विकत्थनम्। रोषमीया॑वमानं च नैव दान्तो निषेवते॥
It also consists, O son of Kuru, of respect for the preceptor and mercy for all. The selfcontrolled man avoids both adulation and slander. Depravity, infamy, falsehood, lust, covetousness, pride, arrogance, self-edification, fear, envy, and disrespect, are all shunned by the self-controlled man.
अनिन्दितो ह्यकामात्मा नाल्पेष्वर्थ्यनसूयकः। समुद्रकल्पः स नरो न कथंचन पूर्यते॥
He never incurs obloquy. He is free from envy. He is never satisfied with trivial acquisitions. He is like the ocean which can never be filled.
अहं त्वयि मयि त्वं च मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम्। पूर्वसम्बन्धिसंयोग नैतद् दान्तो निषेवते॥
The self-controlled man is never fettered by the attachments originating from earthly connections and sentiments like these,-'I am yours, You are yours. They are in me, and I am in them.
सर्वा ग्राम्यास्तथाऽऽरण्या याश्च लोके प्रवृत्तयः। निन्दां चैव प्रशंसां च यो नाश्रयति मुच्यते॥
Such a man who follows the practices of either cities or the woods, and who never vilifies others nor indulges in adulation, acquires liberation.
मैत्रोऽथ शीलसम्पन्नः प्रसन्नात्माऽऽत्मविच्च यः। मुक्तस्य विविधैः सङ्गैस्तस्य प्रेत्य फलं महत्॥
Practising universal friendliness, and virtuous conduct, and possessed of cheerful spirit and psychic knowledge, and freed from the various attachments of the Earth, a person acquires great reward in the next world.
सुवृत्तः शीलसम्पन्नः प्रसन्नात्माऽऽत्मविद् बुधः। प्राप्येह लोके सत्कारं सुगति प्रतिपद्यते॥
Of excellent behaviour and observant of duties, cheerful and endued with learning and knowledge of self, such a man acquires esteem while in this world and attains to a high end hereafter.
कर्म यच्छुभमेवेह सद्भिराचरितं च यत्। तदेव ज्ञानयुक्तस्य मुनेवर्त्म न हीयते॥
All acts that are considered as good on Earth,-all those acts that are practised by the righteous, form the path of the ascetic endued with knowledge. A person that is good never transgresses that path.
निष्क्रम्य वनमास्थाय ज्ञानयुक्तो जितेन्द्रियः। कालाकाङ्क्षी चरत्येवं ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते॥
Retiring from the world, and living in the woods, that learned person, having a complete mastery over the senses who treads in that path, expecting his own demise, is sure to acquire the state of Brahma.
अभयं यस्य भूतेभ्यो भूतानामभयं यतः। तस्य देहाद् विमुक्तस्य भयं नास्ति कुतश्चन॥
He who has no fear of any creature, and whom no creature fears, has, after, the dissolution of his body, no fear to meet.
अवाचिनोति कर्माणि न च सम्प्रचिनोति ह। समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मैत्रायणगतिश्चरेत्॥
He who exhausts his merits without trying to hoard them up, who considers all creatures equally and cherishes friendship for the entire universe, attains to Brahma.
शकुनीनामिवाकाशे जले वारिचरस्य च। यथा गतिर्न दृश्येत तथा तस्य न संशयः॥
As the route of birds along the sky or of fowl over the surface of water cannot be made out, so the path of such a person (on Earth) does not attract notice.
गृहानुत्सृज्य यो राजन् मोक्षमेवाभिपद्यते। लोकास्तेजोमयास्तस्य कल्पन्ते शाश्वतीः समाः॥
O king, many bright worlds await him for eternal enjoyment, who renouncing his domestic life, adopts the religious course of emancipation. acts,
संन्यस्य सर्वकर्माणि संन्यस्य विधिवत्तपः। संन्यस्य विविधा विद्याः सर्वं संन्यस्य चैव ह॥ कामे शुचिरनावृत्तः प्रसन्नात्माऽऽत्मविच्छुचिः। प्राप्येह लोके सत्कारं स्वर्ग समभिपद्यते॥
If abandoning all abandoning penances in due time, leaving off the various branches of study, in fact, leaving off all things, one becomes pure in his desires, freed from all restraints, of cheerful soul, conversant with self, and of pure heart, he then acquires esteem in this world and at last attains to heaven.
यच्च पैतामहं स्थानं ब्रह्मराशिसमुद्भवम्। गुहायां पिहितं नित्यं तद् दमेनाभिगम्यते॥
That eternal region of the grandfather which originates from Vedic penances, and which is concealed in a cave, can only be acquired by self-control.
ज्ञानारामस्य बुद्धस्य सर्वभूताविरोधिनः। नावृत्तिभयमस्तीह परलोकभयं कुतः॥
He who finds pleasure in true knowledge, who has become enlightened, and who never injures any creature, has no fear of returning to this world, not to speak of any fear from the other.
एक दव दमे दोषो द्वितीयो नोपपद्यते। यदेनं क्षमया युक्तमशक्तं मन्यते जनः॥
There is only one fault in self-control. No second fault is seen in it. A person who has self-control is considered by men as weak and imbecile.
एकोऽस्य सुमहाप्राज्ञः दोषः स्यात् सुमहान् गुणः। क्षमया विपुला लोकाः सुलभा हि सहिष्णुता।॥
you of great wisdom, this attribute has only one defect. Its merits are many. By forgiveness, the man of self-control may easily acquire numberless worlds.
दान्तस्य किमरण्येन तथाऽदान्तस्य भारत। यत्रैव निवसेद् दान्तस्तदरण्यं स चाश्रमः॥
Of what use is forest to a man of selfcontrol. Likewise, O Bharata, of what use is the forest to him that has no self-control? That is a forest where the man of self-control lives, and that is even a sacred asylum.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एतद् भीष्मस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा राजा युधिष्ठिरः। अमृतेनेव संतृप्तः प्रहृष्टः समपद्यत॥
Hearing these words of Bhishina, Yudhishthira became highly pleased as if he had drunk nectar.
पुनश्च परिपप्रच्छ भीष्मं धर्मभृतां वरम्। तपः प्रति स चोवाच तस्मै सर्वं कुरूद्वह॥
Again the king asked that foremost of virtuous men. That perpetuator of Kuru's race once more began to discourse cheerfully on the subject.